Bird feeder



June 1952 T. R. SCHLITZ 3,

BIRD FEEDER Filed May 2, 1960 INVENTOR THOMAS R. SOHLITZ ORNE United States Patent 3,040,705 BED FEEDER Thomas R. Schlitz, 30 Mertz Ave, Hillside 5, NJ. Filed May 2, 1960, Ser. No. 26,078 2 Claims. (Cl. 119-51) to spend a great deal of money to purchase a bird-feeder capable of efiicient performance. Bird-feeders are normally easily transportable and are, therefore, the subject of theft and breakage. It is, therefore, an objective of this invention to provide a bird-feeder of an adjustable automatic feed type which is comprised basically of a Mason jar and a novel and removable insert used in con junction with the jar and its ordinary annular screw cap.

A further objective of this invention is to provide an inexpensive flat blank which can be easily handled and mailed, or aflixed to a consumer product such as those sold in supermarkets as an inducement to buy the particular product to which the blank is attached.

A still further objective of this invention is to provide an insert blank of a deformable substance so that the dispensing outlets for the feed may be varied in accordance with the granular coarseness of the feed. In other words, the dispensing outlets and the distance of the jar is spaced from its support are adapted to be adjusted according to the ease of flow of the particular feed or material which is to be dispensed.

Further objectives and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims wherein the construction, arrangement and cooperation of the several parts of the container are set forth.

'In the drawings: FIG. 1 is an elevational View of the invention in its operative or inverted position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the invention in its upright position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the insert blank;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the insert after it has been properly bent; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the annular screw cap.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral indicates the bird feeder assembly of this invention. The assembly is comprised of three basic elements which include the jar 12, the screw cap 20, and the deformable insert 30.

The jar 12 is of the ordinary Mason jar variety having a body section 14, a closed end 15, and an open end 16. Adjoining the open end 16 are the exterior threads 17. The open end 16 is defined by a peripheral edge 18. The screw cap 20 is of the annular type and is comprised of a cylindrical section 22 which is threaded at 24. At the top end of the cylindrical section there is an interiorly directed flange 26 having an interior circumference 28 slightly less than that defined by the peripheral edge 18 of the Mason jar. As known to most consumers, the flange 28, while using the jar for its normal use, cooperates with a solid disc (not shown) to seal the contents in the jar. The solid disc normally has a peripheral edging of rubber or the like about one of its surfaces to engage the peripheral edge of the jar opening. As the screw cap is tightened, the rubber edging is compressed against the peripheral edge and an air-tight seal is accomplished.

After the original contents of the Mason jar have been .body portion 32.

exhausted, the invention contemplates that the solid disc will be discarded, and an insert 30/ will be used to convert the Mason jar into a bird feeder.

The insert 30 is of a thin deformable metal or plastic having an original shape as shown in FIG. 3. The insert is formed of a generally circular body section 32 and a plurality of leg sections 34. It should be noted that the leg sections extend beyond the periphery of the circular body section and are pre-cut as shown at 33. The imaginary diameter D shown in FIG. 3 is greater than the diameter of the openings 16 and 28, however, less than the cylindrical diameter of cap 22.

Referring to FIG. 4, it is apparent that the legs 34 and blank 30 are bent from the plane of the body sec tion a uniform amount. The openings 35 left between segments 36 of the body section 30, due to this deformation, comprise the dispensing outlets forthe bird seed.

The legs 34 are bent an amount sufiicient to enable them to be slipped through the opening 28. The unbent segments 36 will then rest on the flange 28 providing a stop for the insert. The cap 22 is then screw threaded onto jar 12 so that the segments 36 are firmly gripped between flange 38 the peripheral edge 18. In operation, a granular bird food such as seed is placed in the jar while it is in its upright position. The insert 30 is placed within screw cap 22 as described and the screw cap is firmly tightened on the jar. The jar is then in verted and placed on a horizontal surface 38 as shown in FIG. 1. The further operation of the feeder is apparent.

The height at which legs 34 maintain the dispensing openings from the supporting surface and the size of the dispensing outlets will determine the ease of flow which the see i or other granular food will flow from the jar 20. These two variables depend directly from the amount the legs 34 are bent from the plane of the a rigid enough nature to remain in their bent position merely under the weight of the jar and seed. The spacing will be greatest and the dispensing outlets will be largest when the legs 34 are bent to a position perpendicular to the plane body 30. Of course, the dispensing outlets and the spacing will be least as the legs 34 appreach the plane of body 30.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and efficient embodiment of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. An animal feed support and outlet comprising,

a flat circular disc-like body,

a plurality of reservoir support segments about the periphery of said body,

said body having a plurality of substantially U-shaped feed openings about said periphery and between adjacent of said segments,

each of said openings defined by a pair of sides extending generally inwardly toward the center of said body, and a base side connecting the individual sides of said pair of sides,

a reservoir of a type having a closed upper end and an open lower end,

said open end supported by said segments,

leg members extending from each of said base sides and bent downwardly away from the plane of said 3,040,765 Patented June 26, 1962 The legs 34 aredeformable but of 3 4 body, whereby said leg members are in engagement said segments are gripped between said open end and with a horizontal support, said leg members will said flange as said cap is screwed on said reservoir. space said body from said support, means to secure said segments to said open end, and References Cited h file of this Patent said sides having a sufficient length to define an 5 opening to communicate the interior of said reser- UNITED STATES PATENTS voir with the atmosphere. 1,997,492 Liro Apr. 9, 1935 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein exterior 2,591,459 Meany Apr. 1, 1952 threads are formed about the surface of said reservoir 2,66 ,128 Rieke Dec. 1, 1953 near said open end, and said means to secure is comprised 10 2,688,181 Livermont et a1. Sept. 7, 1954 of an annular cap having interior threads mating with 2,725,655 Mullen et a1. Dec. 6, 1955 said exterior threads and an interior flange in engage- 2,764,804 Arness Oct. 2, 1956 ment with the lower surface of said segments such that 2,768,469 Mathias Oct. 30, 1956 

